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How a Cost Segregation Study Can Help Keep Money in Your Business

If you own real estate, a cost segregation study is one of the best tools to help you reduce taxes and improve cash flow. Although a cost segregation study will not provide additional tax deductions, it will enable the taxpayer to accelerate a portion of the depreciation on the building. Cost segregation is the process of breaking out a portion of a building’s cost that can be depreciated quicker than the standard life of 39 years.

Where should a property owner start when considering a cost segregation study?

The purchase or construction of a building is the starting point for any cost segregation study. Any building is eligible, but the owner must determine if it is cost beneficial to perform a study. Any cost segregation study should start with a cost-free estimate to quantify the potential tax savings from doing the study. These estimates usually do not take a large investment of time, as only a few items of basic information are needed.